Weather Forecast

Congress moves to curb gender selective abortions

On Thursday, May 31, a vote in the House of Representatives failed to gain 2/3 vote to ban gender selective abortions in the United States. The final vote was 246-168. Though a majority voted in favor of the bill, supporters of the bill fell 30 votes short.

A bill, introduced by Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), could have subjected an abortion provider to jail time for neglecting to determine whether gender was a motivating factor in a woman’s decision to terminate a pregnancy,” according to the Washington Post.

When one thinks of gender selective abortions one’s thoughts focus on China or India, where male babies are preferred over females. However, this practice has been going on in the United States. A recent undercover video taping of an interview with Planned Parenthood uncovered that agency’s practice of aborting female babies if the parents want a male.

“...a national spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood told the Huffington Post that it is official Planned Parenthood policy to provide elective abortions even if they’re being performed because the baby is a girl.”

“Congress opened debate Wednesday afternoon (May 30) on legislation that would outlaw sex-selective abortions. The bill, introduced by Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), could subject an abortion provider to jail time for neglecting to determine whether gender was a motivating factor in a woman’s decision to terminate a pregnancy,” according to the Washington Post.

“White House deputy press secretary Jamie Smith told (ABC’s Jake Tapper) in a statement: ‘The Administration opposes gender discrimination in all forms, but the end result of this legislation would be to subject doctors to criminal prosecution if they fail to determine the motivations behind a very personal and private decision. The government should not intrude in medical decisions or private family matters in this way.’”

I agree with the president’s stand on not discriminating. However, killing a female in the womb is the ultimate form of discrimination.

While this practice may be accepted by the masses in China, it is not morally acceptable in the United States, even though the House killed this measure that would have curbed the practice. Choosing to kill an unborn child simply because its sex is not desired by the parents is insanity. One would have to label the barbaric practice as being over the top.

As the dad of three wonderful young women, I could not imagine the mind-set of a person that would kill a child just because the child is female.

I wonder why women’s rights organizations have not spoken out on this issue. The silence, coming from such groups as National Organization of Women, is deafening. Is this a signal from our government that the right to abort a child is more important than systematically killing off a generation of female leaders and, of course, mothers?

I have opposed the slaughter of the unborn since the United States Supreme Court voted to legalize this taking of life. However, this selection process is maniacal and smacks of Germany’s selective breeding in the 1940s. The vote by the House has given the government’s stamp of approval to the killing of our nation’s young women.